Anniversary
One year ago, I was laid off from my job.In the days that followed, I was shocked, and angry, and sad, and confused (though much of that could have been the Prosecco talking). But I soon learned that what I was actually given was an opportunity, an opportunity to figure out exactly what I wanted to do with my life, what wou

Remembering Norma
I was fortunate to work with Norma Fox Mazer while I was at Candlewick Press, editing an adorable picture book called Has Anyone Seen My Emily Greene?, about a girl and her father and their special hide-and-seek tradition. As you might imagine, Norma was a delight to work with, and I was both thrilled and honored to help her bring one of her books into the world.There was so much to admire about Norma, it was often difficult for me to maintain my focus when we interacted. Of course, I was impressed by her lifelong dedication to her craft and to telling young readers the truth. B

A Great Quote
If you can come to such friendly terms with yourself that you are able and willing to say precisely what you think of any given situation or character, if you can tell a story as it can appear only to you of all the people on earth, you will inevitably have a piece of work which is original.— Dorothea Brande, Becoming a Writer

Revising: Do Not Disturb
I gave myself until the end of August to finish my revision. As of this writing, I have six days and a few hours left. In between, I have a bit of editing to do, and my husband is hoping we might spend some time cleaning the house this weekend, as the past few weeks have made it too hot to move around here, let alone snap on some rubber gloves and wield a toilet brush.In other words, no major blog revelations this week. But if I do manage to meet my self-imposed deadline, I'm sure I'll have a lot to say in about a week. Until then, I hope you all manage to enjoy what remains of August — which, ideally, should include getting your hands on some frozen lemonade,